In an effort to build grassroots development programs and grow the game, the Burlington Centaurs Rugby Club has partnered with the Halton Region schools for an annual Elementary Flag Rugby Tournament. Led by Club President Nick Manz and Director of Mini Rugby, Alex Rappos, this program introduces non-contact flag rugby to hundreds of students in a fun, safe, and inclusive manner. The 2026 tournaments will be taking place on June 4th (Grades 4-6) and June 11th (Grades 7-8) from 10 am to 2 pm at Sherwood Forest Park in Burlington.
In preparation for the tournament days, the Centaurs facilitated an Elementary Teacher’s Rookie Rugby Workshop to provide teachers with the fundamentals of flag rugby, lesson plans, and skill-development activities. Over the past six weeks, teachers have been using the resources to lead rugby practices within their schools. The Centaurs Community Rugby intern and Burlington Centaurs Women’s player, Emmett Downey, has also provided in-person support by visiting schools to help run rugby programming.
After an extremely successful 2025 tournament, featuring support from the Canadian Women’s National Team and attracting local media coverage and hundreds of student participants, the 2026 tournament looks to build on that success! Grassroots initiatives are critical to growing the game; the Halton Elementary Flag Rugby Tournament Program is introducing new students to rugby, building strong rugby pathways, and creating lifelong connections to the sport – great work, Centaurs!
